If you are a crocheter and have a baby or toddler, play room or nursery, and love organization and helping your child learn – this post is for you!
Want a fun way to use your scraps? Want to make a lot of little projects/toys that are great for little ones? Want to custom a special piece for a wee one? – and then end with one big finale? This project is for you! (And you can skip the big finale if it’s not for you and still have all the little toys and ABCs.)
I have compiled the first letters of this event in a convenient downloadable PDF if you prefer to print them out and have them all in one place. You can find the letters A-F HERE ON MY ETSY.
This project was in my head as I was designing all of these letters and I’m so excited to get this started! Won’t you join me? Here is the fifth new pattern to go with the others already linked.
You can begin by deciding what colors you want to use for your letters – I’ll be using them all! – and make up the alphabet or save this post and wait for the end and make it all at once.
I’m gonna give you some options at the end to make the final part right for you/your space.
In addition to the alphabet patterns, here is a list of toys that will be linked right here starting now. *these are not set in stone and I may decide to switch them as I work if I am inspired in a different direction. So, pin or save this post and come back and follow along with me or subscribe to my blog and get email updates when I make a new post.
I will using some of the patterns that I’ve already made for this ABC project and you will see those linked below. You can go ahead and get started today! I can’t wait to share this with you. I’m planning on at least a weekly update, but I’m going to shoot for two per week. I’m gonna try.
So, join me. Save this post. Let’s get started!
UPDATE: C is for Cat: February 12, 2020
For most all of these projects I encourage you to dig in your stash. Use some scrap yarns when you can I’ll also be using stuffing, crinkle paper, rattle boxes, squeaker toy inserts, and safety eyes in some of these patterns. All patterns listed have/will have a full material list.
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This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.
You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.
If you find any problems with this pattern please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.
Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Worked in the CONTINUOUS Round: I do not join and chain, but continue to work in the next stitch. Use a stitch marker for this so you don’t lose your place.
Cat:
Stiches used: I have only used single crochet (sc) with increase (inc) and decrease (dec) for this cat and scraps of 4-ply worsted weight KITCHEN COTTON yarn. I like to use cotton for baby toys to make them great teethers. This one is super fun too! I have added rattle parts and crinkle paper.
I used my size H hook with this pattern. I recommend a size G hook if you crochet loose, but I crochet tight and usually use an H with kitchen cotton. Since I used scrap yarn, the front and back are different colors and I changed color on the ear when I ran out of yellow. These are baby toys so I encourage you to use what you have- don’t fuss over making it all “matchy” – baby won’t care and the brighter and more fun and contrast the better.
The eyes are made in 3 parts: the center pupil is a simple circle of 6 sc (leave tails for sewing on all pieces) – the colored part is a circle of 18 sc around (pattern below if you need it) and the white part is a circle, but it is hdc. I’ll post that below.
Colored part of eye:
Chain 2. Single crochet 6 in the second chain from the hook and work over your starting tail.
Starting in the first sc make 2 sc in that stitch and in each stitch around. (12) *Still work over the starting tail.
After getting done with all 12 sc for that round, pull the starting tail to cinch up the opening. You can now trim that tail or weave it in or just leave it if it will be on the inside of your work.
You want to move your stitch marker to the last stitch of each round so you know when you get to the end.
Rounds 3: (Make 1 sc in next stitch, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (18)
White of eye is worked in hdc:
Chain 2. Half double crochet (hdc) 8 in the second chain from the hook and work over your starting tail.
Starting in the first hdc make 2 hdc in that stitch and in each stitch around. (16) *Still work over the starting tail.
After getting done with all 12 hdc for that round, pull the starting tail to cinch up the opening. You can now trim that tail or weave it in or just leave it if it will be on the inside of your work.
You want to move your stitch marker to the last stitch of each round so you know when you get to the end.
Rounds 3: (Make 1 hdc in next stitch, make 2 hdc in the next stitch) repeat around (24) *now make just a few sc in about 2-3 stitches and then slip stitch and finish off. Don’t forget to leave a tail to sew – you will also use that tail to make a highlight in the black center part of the eye.
*sew all three eye pieces together.
The nose is a simple, small triangle. Leave tails to sew.
Chain 2 and make 1 sc in the 2nd chain from the hook. Chain 1 and turn. Make 3 sc in the sc from the row below. Chain 1 and turn. Make 2sc, sc, 2sc for 5 sc in row 3. Chain 1 and turn. Make 2sc, sc 3, 2sc for 7sc in row 4. Chain 1 and turn and work 7 sc evenly across the row. Sc around the entire nose putting 3sc in each corner. Finish off.
Now, for the body of the cat toy: This part starts in the middle of the front of the face and works outward and then works a few rows evenly and then decreases on the back. There is no sewing on the body part.
Chain 2. Single crochet 6 in the second chain from the hook and work over your starting tail.
Starting in the first sc make 2 sc in that stitch and in each stitch around. (12) *Still work over the starting tail.
After getting done with all 12 sc for that round, pull the starting tail to cinch up the opening. You can now trim that tail or weave it in or just leave it if it will be on the inside of your work.
You want to move your stitch marker to the last stitch of each round so you know when you get to the end.
Round 3: (Make 1 sc in next stitch, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (18)
Round 4: (Make 1 sc in next 2 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (24)
Round 5: (Make 1 sc in next 3 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (30)
Round 6: (Make 1 sc in next 4 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (36)
Round 7: (Make 1 sc in next 5 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (42)
Round 8: (Make 1 sc in next 6 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (48)
Round 9: (Make 1 sc in next 7 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (54)
Round 10: (Make 1 sc in next 8 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (60)
Round 11: (Make 1 sc in next 9 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (66)
Round 12: (Make 1 sc in next 10 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (72)
Round 13: (Make 1 sc in next 11 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (78)
Round 14: (Make 1 sc in next 12 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (84)
Round 15: (Make 1 sc in next 13 stitches, make 2 sc in the next stitch) repeat around (90)
Round 16: Back Loop Only (BLO) 90
Round 17: 90 sc around
Round 18: BLO 90 sc – the decrease starts now.
Round 19: (Make 1 sc in next 13 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (84)
Round 20: (Make 1 sc in next 12 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (78)
Round 21: (Make 1 sc in next 11 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (72)
Round 22: (Make 1 sc in next 10 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (66)
Round 23: (Make 1 sc in next 9 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (60)
Round 24: (Make 1 sc in next 8 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (54)
Round 25: (Make 1 sc in next 7 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (48)
Round 26: (Make 1 sc in next 6 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (42)
Round 27: (Make 1 sc in next 5 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (36)
Round 28: (Make 1 sc in next 4 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (30)
*about here you need to start stuffing with whatever you are using. I added some polyfill and then 3 rattle parts and then cut a piece of crinkle paper to fit and folded it into the opening and then unfolded to fit over the back surface.
Round 29: (Make 1 sc in next 3 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (24)
Round 30: (Make 1 sc in next 2 stitches, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (18)
Round 31: (Make 1 sc in next stitch, make an inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (12)
Round 32: (inv dec over the next two stitches) repeat around (6) – finish off and weave in the end.
Ears:
The ears start with a simple circle of 6 crochet started like above and then one sc gets added each round – so, round 2 is 7sc, round 3 is 8 sc, round 4 is 9sc etc. I increased until I had 18sc in my example. Leave tail to sew. *note: when adding 1sc to each round for the ears alter the increase so that you are not adding them all at the start or the end etc. Space the increases out around the ears. Sew on on round 17.
And that is it! C is for Cat, but this pattern would make a super cute D is for Dog as well. Just modify the ears to make rounder, longer ears – maybe smaller eyes and nose…
Pin this post and come back for all of the A-Z toys!
I realized after I started this project that I would never be able to update every new post with every new link – once I got down to the end of the alphabet, I would have to update about 20 post with all the links to all the new patters – So, I will be keeping THIS ORIGINAL POST updated with all the new links for all of the new toys. <3
I will leave this part of the list that is already linked with my older patterns.
Ball – for the ball toys in this project, I refer you to this post to make one – or many – crochet balls using your scrap yarns. The more textures the better. You can also add rattle boxes, squeakers, stress balls as filler and more.
Bunny – I have made a few bunnies in the past and I will be making another version of my Clover the Baby Bunny Pattern
Dinosaur – here on my blog you will find an entire Dinosaur Family. For this ABC event, I will be making a different version of Scrappy. He’s the perfect size and uses up some assorted scrap yarns. If you want a different option, Baby Pea is also a nice small size and also Pinky the Dezzy Inspired dragon is a good choice.
Eye – I will be using the eyeball pattern from my Halloween Bag of Balls for this project, but if you find it too weird or spooky for a baby let me know and I’m sure I can whip up a different one. This one would be super cute with some crinkle paper inside. *Also, when you visit this post there is a Zombie ball that would make a cute Z word and I will most likely be altering the colors on this Zombie ball and making a few additions to do a Ninja toy for N.
Goat – here on my blog you will find Ginger the Goat in my Farm Series. She is a bit large for this project so she will get a few modifications to be a bit smaller. Feel free to make her if you want a larger goat.
Lamb– another make from my Farm Series is Lonny the Lamb. Lonny is a nice, small size so I will be using this pattern here for the Lamb, but will switch up the colors I’m sure. Maybe bright? Maybe a girl?
Octopus – in my opinion this octopus squeeze ball is the perfect baby toy when made from cotton so this is the pattern that I will be using right here. I like to use 100% cotton and the stress/squeeze balls on the inside of the head and it makes these the perfect baby toy with teether capabilities. And they are so quick to make you can make a handful.
Will you be joining in the fun? I’d love for you to make all of this with me, but if not pick a few and make it with me.
I’d love to see all your work or catch up with your progress so connect with me over on IG @theburgundybasket
#youandmeabccrochet
XOXO,
Kristi
